Receiver circuit



Feb. 27,, 1951 D. D. GRIEG RECEIVER CIRCUIT 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 27, 1945 k I. Q C R AW fiv QM E lwm l liiiimmwklwlmm ilmmw iiwfiil lw Q mm m. wh qw Qw m A I m M j R E k R Filed Sept. 27, 1945 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 W W W A a Patented F eb. 27, 1951 RECEIVER CIRCUIT Donald l). Grieg, Forest Hills, N. Y., assignor to Federal Telephone and Radio Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application September 27, 1945, Serial No. 618,967

I 3 Claims. 1

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in television receivers.

The object of the invention is to provide in a receiver, circuits for discriminating between the width and/or shape characteristics of pulses which are transmitted on a given transmission medium or carrier where different pulses are used to perform different functions.

Another object is to provide circuits for separating a plurality of different signal pulses transmitted on the same carrier with picture signals, the signal pulses being of a character identified as vertical, horizontal and/or colorphasing synchronizing signals, and sound-conveying signals.

Still another object is to provide means for separating one type of signal pulse from other types by differences in width or build-up and decay characteristics or by a combination of such characteristics.

According to the present invention, the receiver is also equipped with means to demodulate pulses modulated in accordance with sound signals. An important feature of the demodulating circuit is the double function of separating wanted or sound signal pulses from other signal pulses and the translation of the energy of such wanted pulses into amplitude modulated energy.

These and other objects and features of the invention will more clearly appear from the following description of a preferred embodiment and the appended claims.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a curve illustrating the pulses transmitted and received;

Figs. 2, 3 and 4 show portions of Fig. 1 on an enlarged scale;

Fig. 5 is a block diagram of as much of a television transmitter as is necessary for understanding the present invention;

Fig. 6 is a block diagram of as much of a television receiver as is necessary for understanding the present invention;

Fig. '7 shows one embodiment with circuit which may be used in the receiver of Fig. 6; and

Fig. 8 is a graph used in explaining the operation of the sound channel in the circuit of Fig. '7.

Referring to Fig. 1, the amplitude modulations of a carrier representing the picture signals l are separated by horizontal synchronizing pulses 2. Each horizontal pulse is carried by a horizontal blanking pedestal 3 on said carrier and carrying in addition to pulse 2 a second pulse 4 whose spacing with respect to pulse 2 is varied dependin on the sound to be transmitted. Thus, the time or phase modulation of pulse 4 with respect to pulse 2 is used for transmitting the sound accompanying the picture signals, and no separate frequency band need be provided for this purpose.

Fig. 2 gives an enlarged view of these synchronizing and sound pulses. Assuming that the width of the horizontal blanking pulse or pedestal is 0.16l-I (the distance between the leading and trailing edges), where H is the time consumed by one horizontal blanking pulse 3 and a line trace signal I, the width of pulse 2 at its top may be only one-tenth of that, or .016H. Pulse 2 is preferably wider at its base by .0032H and. it has its leading edge substantially .008H from the leading edge of pulse 3 to insure that when pulse 2 is superpositioned on pulse 3 their leading edges will not be distorted, as might occur when the timing 'of these pulses is minutely incorrect.

The sound pulse 4 is preferably only half as wide as 2, i. e., .OOBH, at the top and spreads to the same extent at the bottom as does 2, i. e., it is .0032H wider. The displacement D of the pulse 4 in response to sound modulation may be 5:0.048H. The guard time interval A between the lagging edge of pulse 2 and the nearest time displacement limit l is .019H, andthe guard time interval B just preceding the lagging edge of pedestal 3 and the nearest time displacement limit 4" is .006I-I. It will be understood, of course, that these relative dimensions are given by Way of example only.

At the end or bottom of each picture frame, vertical blanking takes place under the control of a vertical pedestal 6 whose width between lines 5-5 of Fig. 1 may be equal to .05V, where V is the vertical field time, that is, the time consumed in transmitting the intelligence for one complete field. During this period .05V the sending of horizontal synchronizing pulses and sound pulses is continued while one or more vertical or frame synchronizing pulses I are sent. The leading edge of the first or only synchronizing pulse '3 is preferably 1.25I-I from the leading edge of the last pulse 2X marking the bottom of the picture frame and coinciding with line 5. If, as indicated in dotted lines, additional synchronizing pulses such as l, l, 1", 1", are placed on pedestal 6, then these are also spaced 1.25H from the next preceding horizontal synchronizing pulse 2.

For colored television, a color-phasing pulse 8 3 is placed on the vertical blanking pulse 6 a suitable period Gc following the leading edge of pulse 6. For further details of color television, reference is made to U. S. Patent No. 2,465,371.

Line 9 represents the axis of the carrier, line lil the whitest and line I I the blackest picture signal that is transmitted. The black line i i corresponds to 75% modulation and the tops of the pulses 2, 4, l and 8 to 106% modulation of the Referring to Fig. 3, the width of the vertical synchronizing pulse 1 i preferably .03151-1 at the top and .04751-1 at the base or practically twice as wide as a horizontal pulse 2.

Color-phasing pulses 8 are stillwider; they may be .126H wide at the top and .142H at the bottom.

The following tables give by way of example the timing of the various impulses:

WAVEFORM DIMENSIONS IN MICROSECONDS Monochromatic H=22,050 C. P. S.=45.4 sec. Color H=3l,500 ==31.'7 p.580.

For horizontal blanking pedestal (3) 4 vice 2| to a generator 22 for production of colorphasing pulses 8, and these pulses are also fed into the mixer [5.

The generator E8 of the horizontal synchronizing pulses is preferably connected through a delay device 23 with a time pulse modulator 24 for producing sound pulses 4 whose phasing or timing with respect to the marker pulses 2. may be modulated from an audio source 25. The modulator 24, which may be any known pulse time modulator such for example as shown in U. S. Patent No. 2,266,401 or in U. S. Patent No. 2.445383 is also connected with the mixer l5.

Where it is required that more than one vertical synchronizing pulse '1 be positioned on each vertical pedestal 5, output of generator I3 is, as indicated by line 26, inter-synchronized with the vertical synchronizing pulse generator 20.

Before transmission, the synchronizing signals 3 6; 2,1 and Bare passed over lines 21, 28, 29 and 30 to the camera 16, the synchronizing pulses also being passed through mixer and then to a Fed Sync. Sound Guard Guard Mod. i g Type Widt'h Pulse Pulse Time Time Displ Sound Sound Width Width A B D Sync andsync' M 1 7. 3 0.7 0.35 0.85 0.3 i2. 2 0.07 0.07 C 1 5.0 0. 5 0.25 0.6 0.2 i1. 5 0.05 0. 05

For vertical blanking pedestal (6) V Sync. V Sync V Sync. Color Color Color Blanking Type Pulse Pulse Pulse Pulse Pulse Pulse Repetition Width Buildup Decay Width Buildup Decay Period Sec. M 1.5 0.35 0.35 1/60 C 1. 0 0.25 0. 4. 0 0. 25 0.25 1/120 Ml\ionochromatic. C-Color.

Pulse width measured at top of pulse.

Successive frames may be interlaced in any suitable manner.

It is noted again that all required picture, sound and colorsignals are sent on a single carrier and, as will be shown below, require relatively simple and well-known equipment for their generation and transmission.

Fig. 5 is a block diagram of the important elements suitable for the transmission of the signals illustrated in Fig. l. The horizontal pedestals 3 are generated at l2 and the vertical pedestals 6 at 13. These two generators are synchronized from signals from source S. The pulses generated at l2 and I3 are fed to mixer circuit I4 which transmits them in their time sequence to mixer l5 and to camera 16.

The pulses representing the pedestals 3 are fed through a delay device ll, either electronic or of the passive network type, to a horizontal synchronizing pulse generator 18 which will produce the horizontal marker pulses 2 and feed them to the mixer 55. Similarly, the vertical pedestals 6 are fed by generator 53 through a delay device 59 to a vertical synchronizing pulse generator 2B which will produce the vertical synchronizing pulses and supply them to the mixer l5. It will be understood, of course, that instead of using pedestal pulses 3 and 6 to control generators l8 and 20, signals may be taken from synchronizing source S.

Where color-phasing pulses are required the generator l3 may be connected through delay defurther mixer3lto which the camera 16 supplies the picture signals.

The balance of the transmitter may be of any customary type for broadcasting the signals of Fig. 1 ortransmitting them through any suitable medium to a receiver.

Only those elements of a receiver are shown in Fig. 6 which are necessary-for an understanding of the present invention.

The detector circuit 32 applies the incoming signals after reception by knownreceiver circuits in parallel to three circuits 33a, 33b and 330 adapted to discriminate between the pulses according to pulse width, and=a fourthcircuit 33d to a picture reproducer. Pulse width discriminator 33a selects only the color phasingsignals 8, pulse width discriminators 33b andfi'ec select the horizontal and vertical synchronizing pulses respectively.

Circuit 33a respondsonly to. pulses 8 having a width of 5.7 microseconds, removes them by translation and clipper. action and sends them 69 to a color utilization-circuit 34a. From this point the color control of the receiver may follow any customary pattern.

The circuit 331) removesonly the horizontal synchronizing pulses 2 and applies them to a 70 horizontal sweepgenerator 34b'controlling the horizontal sweeping of the cathode ray tube or the like (not shown) of the receiver.

Circuit33c segregates the vertical pulses l to operate a vertical sweep generator 380 of the cathode ray tube.

equivalent-of pulses lk The sound-wave is fed v via -a-;;low pass filter 3? to he ce veris .1 c. Th i ure si al .respp the sound output of iye elements of the t pe, t

zlimit clipping tube or amplifier 38, a tuned-cir- .-:1cuit 39, and Oscill t on. dam i e The "a pl fi -tub 318 a i s s idso biased, a .;1 t al lsssmio. red t rm am u for application to the L q circuit 39 overv a re- ;sistance R; This circuit is adjusted to be shockexcited tomaximum oscillation only by pulse of :a predetermined width, The tube 40, bridged :jacross circuit 39, maintained blocked by the .pulse energy applied to circuit 39overgrid con- -,necti on 40a,; The electrogle connections of tube 1.49 are suchflthat, th ,e tub= conducts onlywhen t lat s.gonesativ w er y n v a v gle positive undulation is passed to clipper tube 4! for each input pulse. The input pulse having the width corresponding to the tuning of circuit 39, that is, the one having a width equal to one half the wavelength of the frequency to which the circuit is tuned, will produce the undulations of maximum amplitude. The tube 4| is negatively biased to clip only the maximum undulations thereby rejecting those produced by pulses of width different from the chosen width for the vertical synchronizing pulses.

Similarly, discriminators 33a and 331) are provided with limit clipping tubes 42, 43, L-C circuits 44, 45, and damping tubes 46, 41, respectively. The only difference is that the circuits 44, 45 are adjusted for maximum oscillation in response to pulses of widths such as those chosen for the color and horizontal synchronizing pulses, respectively.

The sound pulses 4 are derived from the anode of tube 48 of discriminator 330, Fig. '7, across resistor 43 and are applied over differentiator 35 to the negatively biased control grid 49 of a pentode 50 in demodulator 36. They control the shock-excitation of L-C circuit 5| whose adjustment will determine the translation function of the demodulator.

It should be understood that circuits 33a and 33b may have been provided with a similar resistor 48 for the taking off of pulse energy for demodulator 36, should it be desired. The different types of pulse energy obtained across resistor 48 are indicated by graph A of Fig. 8. When this pulse energy is differentiated at 35 it assumes the shape illustrated in graph B. The pulses 2a, 2b, 4a and 4b are of much greater amplitude than the derivative pulses la, 1b, 8a and 82) resulting from the input pulses T and 8. The reason for this is the difference in the buildup and decay characteristics of the leading and trailing edges of the input pulses. For example, the pulses 2 and 4 have sharp build-up and decay characteristics while the pulses I and 8 have much slower build-up and decay characteristics. Thus, upon differentiating the input pulses, the derivative pulses obtained therefrom may be discriminated by a proper clipping level -as:indicated at 152,? graph. B: This. clipping "is "effected by the negative biasing of the grid 49 of-tube 50 so'that pulses 2a and 4a, for. example, are the only pulses that affect the tuned circuit 5|. The dotted lines 40 and 4d in'FigureBC illustrate the limits within which pulses'such...as

411 may be modulated in time with respect to pulses suchas 2a.".

Fora further understanding of demodulator circuit 36, reference may be had .to .U. S.;Patent :No. 2,416,306. The demodulator.operationyefe .fects. a translation'cf the time displacement of .the pulsesi4a iIltO'JDlllSES of corresponding amplitude. lThis is effected by an interaction between thel'oscillatory energy from circuit 5| .and' the pulse energy. 2a and 4a which occurs above the cut-off level of tube'50. The envelope energy defined by the peaks'of the output pulses of tube "50 is obtained by low-pass filter 31.

While the invention has been described in connection with a particular embodiment and given pulse dimensions, it will be understoodthat same is intended to be illustrative of the invention only and not as limiting the scope of the invention 'as set forth in the "appended claims.

I claim: '1. In a system wherein intelligence is'c'om- .municated by first'pulses having predetermined widths.and'lbuild up'times and second pulses having different widths and build-up times, apparatus for segregating said pulses comprising a limiting amplifier having first and second output circuit portions, said first circuit portion comprising means for converting said first pulses into signals exceeding a predetermined amplitude and said second pulses into signals having a lesser amplitude, means coupled to said first circuit portion responsive only to signals exceeding said predetermined amplitude, said second portion comprising means for converting both said types of pulses into signals having substantially the same amplitude but having different build-up times, and means coupled to said second circuit portion responsive only to signals having a predetermined build-up time.

2. In a television system wherein synchronizing information is transmitted by first pulses having predetermined widths and build-up times and audio information is transmitted by means of second pulses having different widths and build-up times, apparatus for segregating and utilizing said pulses comprising a limiting amplifier having an output circuit comprising a first output portion for converting said first pulses into signal exceeding a predetermined amplitude and said second pulses into signals having a lesser amplitude and a second output portion for converting both said types of pulses into signals having substantially the same amplitude but having different build-up times, first selector means coupled to said first output portion for selecting only signals exceeding said predetermined amplitude, a scanning wave generator coupled to said first selector means for generating scanning waves in response to said selected signals, a differentiator coupled to said second output portion for diiferentiating signals converted in said second output portion, second selector means coupled to said differentiator for selecting the differentiating signals exceeding a predetermined amplitude, and means responsive to said last-mentioned means for demodulating said second selected signals.

3. In a television system wherein horizontal objects and the d scla ms synchronizing "and audio information is transmitted by first pulses having predetermined widths and substantially the same build-up times and vertical synchronizing information is transmitted by means of second pulses having difierent widths -and build-up times, apparatus for segregating and utilizing 'said pulses comprising a limiting amplifier having an output circuit comprising a first output portion for converting said second pulses into signals exceeding a predetermined amplitude and said first pulses into signals having a lesser amplitudeand a second output portion for converting both said types of pulses into signals having substantially the same amplitude but having build -u'p times related to the build-up times of said first and second pulses, a first limiter coupled to said output portion for selecting only signals exceeding said predetermined amplitude, a vertical scanning wave generator coupled to said first limiter and responsive only to said selected signals, a difierentiating circuit coupled to "said second output portion for differentiating signals converted in said second output portion, a second limiter coupled to said differentiating means for selecting only signals exceeding a second predetermined amplitude and means coupled to said further limiter for converting signals selected by said second limiter into audio signals.

DONALD D. GREG.

8. summons mm The following references are "of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES mm Number Name Date 2,146,376 Zworykin Rab. 14, 1939 2,214,846 'Wilsoh a..- r 17, 1940 2,249,332 July 15, 1941 ,2 9,524 W. a Jan. 1-3, 1942 2,2 8fi,7 1fi a. June 2, 1942 23953 0 2 3 sent. 8, 1-952 2,309,506 5 3 0x326", 19% 2,344,811) mdendahl et a Mar m, 1944 2,378,746 Beers .,l-.-. i- June 19, I945 21391,?76 Friedend'all 19 15 2,401, 3'84 Young June 4, 2,408,063 Grieg Sept. 24, 1 946 2,416,308 "Grieg d Feb. 25, 1947 2,428,118 Lablii Sept. 30, 194 2,429,616 'Grei'g Oct; 28, 1947 2,434,922 Grieg Jan. 2 7., 1948 2,437,300 nabm 1 Mar. 9, I948 2,440,218 Lapin Apr. 2'7, 1948 2,463,685 Eredendahl v. mar; 8, #1949 2,465,371 .e r Mar. 29,1949 2,477,625- Sabin -r. s- 1mg. 2, 1949 2,477,679 Young i ...l..x w Aug, 2, 1M9 

